Tale Time's Blog

Looking in the mirror might seem vain, but if you're really looking at yourself, then it has the power to help you become a better person. Lots of people know the story of my stepdaughter Snow White what they don't know is that I also used that mirror to learn to love myself and you can too, here's how.

1. Really LookFor years I saw something I didn't like looking back at me and turned away, finding someone else to blame. This didn't help neither did it make the thing I didn't want to see go away.

2. Be HonestWhatever you see in the mirror is what others see, avoiding it or pretending it isn't there doesn't make it go away. You have to be brave and see what you have become - no matter how much this might scare you.

3. Change What You CanSometimes when we look at ourselves we see something that is easy to change. We can replace the scowl with a smile, the darkness with light.

4. Accept What You Can'tOther times we are powerless to change things. Trying just makes it worse. Accept that you won't always be the fairest of them all and...

5. Love What You SeeLoving yourself is the greatest gift you can give the world. This is how you truly transform from the Evil Queen who hates and blames and behaves badly, into the new you.

No one's perfect (not even my stepdaughter - who is clearly a mug), but we can all aim to be our best selves.​Good luck,Not-so-Evil-anymore Queen xx

Telling Sensory Stories is a relatively new idea. That's not to say there aren't lots of people doing it, but I have learnt through my mentorship with Replay Theatre and through developing the art myself.

So here I am going to try to break down my process, so that you can have a go yourself.

1. Pick or write a story - I use traditional tales, myths, legends and folktales. You could probably use any story, but try to use stories that have obvious sensory possibilities - ie. Jack and the Beanstalk.

2. Dissolve your story - This is my favourite thing about the process. You basically need to let the story fall apart and think only about the sensory elements. For example in the Queen Bee the brothers walk through a forest, my usual telling of this has very little mention of the forest, but this forest experience becomes my first sensory experience - a green sheet on the floor and beautiful purple petals that fall gently over the audience member, or the audience member feels and throws.

3. Build up about 5-8 sensory experiences - Look at your story and see what sensory experiences might be possible. For example in Jack in the Beanstalk, there's the beanstalk, there's the money bags, the hen, the harp. These all stood out to me as possible sensory experiences.

​4. Find different ways to create a sensory experience - Because each audience member has different needs, it is wise to create different experiences for each moment. For example I have the beanstalk but I also have some bean-like wool to run through the hands, I also have a song to sing for climbing up and down. This ensures that your audience member will hopefully get something out of the experience, if one element doesn't work for them, then you have another to try.

5. Rebuild the story around the sensory experiences - Once you're happy with the sensory experiences you've created, then you can rebuild the story. Try not to get too attached to the words, but find fun ways to bridge from one part of the story to the next. Sometimes you may not use words at all, less tends to be more with these audiences. If you can sing, all the better.

6. Try it out - Once you're ready try the story out - whether it be with your own child, your class or in a community setting, the only way you'll know if you've picked the right sensory experiences is by trying them out.

I will admit I have gone into early years settings in the past and completely bombed as a storyteller. Children under a certain age can be ruthless audiences. They don't always want to sit still and listen to a story (some do and that's great). But can you blame the others? There is far too much fun to be had exploring when you're three, who wants to sit and listen to some old lady who loves the sound of her own voice?

However, that is before I started telling Sensory Stories. Although not originally developed for audiences under five, I have discovered they work great with this often hard to engage audience.

It's obvious really, Sensory Stories involve bubbles and ribbon, music and singing and lots of opportunity for interaction. With a little tweaking of the story for younger children, I find Sensory Stories are a wonderfully fun (sometimes chaotic) way of bringing children into the world of stories at a young age.

"Best story time ever," I heard one boy say as he left the tent. Which was certainly an improvement on "Sorry, he just hates sitting still."

Babies!​Yep, even babies can enjoy a story if it's sensory. They just a love a feather to play with or a bit of material. In a previous blog I talked about how to create sensory stories. But for now, if you have a young child and you tell them stories, you probably already use Sensory Storytelling techniques to bring the story to life; voices, actions, tickling, singing, rhymes that involve touch (Incy Wincy Spider or This Little Piggy) are all sensory techniques.

Young KidsLiven up any story time with actions, singing, props - think how can I make this more interactive for the children and don't be afraid to stop the story in order to engage them in an activity or action. You're bringing them into the world of the story and the story will still be there to tell once you've had fun pretending to be cats or catching 'fairies' (aka bubbles). Be imaginative and get all young kids loving story time.

Sensory Stories are fast becoming my favourite way to tell stories. They are engaging, fun, interactive and most importantly, put the audience member first.

But who is the audience?

Although I believe everyone can enjoy a sensory story), Sensory Stories have been developed for one very specific audience: children and adults with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (or PMLD for short).

These are people who may have cognitive or intellectual disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities, often severe communication difficulties and complex medical needs.

People with PMLD can be hard to reach and sadly can become isolated, especially when living in residential care homes. Sensory Stories attempt to change this, by providing meaningful sensory experiences in the setting where the audience member is most comfortable - ie. we bring the story to you. Or as Maeve Donnelly of Roddensvale School told me:

"These children cannot experience the world like everyone else, so we bring the world to them."

Sensory Stories bring the world of story to children and adults who cannot pick up a book and go somewhere else.

They're also great in Early Years Settings - which will be the theme for my next blog post.

Vicky McFarland creates audio stories for children around the world and sensory stories for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. You can find out more about her work at TaleTime.co.uk, follow her on Facebook or sign up for her newsletter.

For the last year and a half I've been walking a new road: Sensory Storytelling.

It's not a well trodden road and I've made a lot of mistakes (and I'm sure there's more to come) but it is by far the best road I've ever walked down (and I've walked a few).

OK, I'll drop the strained metaphors and try to speak plainly.

Adventures in Sensory Storytelling is a new weekly blog for anyone interested in Sensory Stories. Here I will share my experiences of developing this relatively new way of telling stories. As well as information on the what, how and why of sensory stories, I will share my highlights, mistakes, insights as well as tips and hints if you want to have a go at telling some Sensory Stories yourself (I highly recommend it).

Sensory Stories are a lot of fun, they're a great way to reach a new audience and - for me - they're one of the most rewarding and worthwhile experiences of my life.

Sometimes the amount of injustice in the world can make us feel powerless, but I took back the power and you can too. Here's my top five tips on how to fight injustice.

1. Recognise when something is wrongJust because that's how it's always been doesn't mean that's how it should always be. Question everything and you may realise the things you accepted are unacceptable.

2. Decide to do something about itNothing ever changed by moaning about it. If you want things to be better make a conscious choice to do something, someone has to.

3. Find like minded peopleWithout my merry men I would never have been able to have an impact. Chances are if you feel strongly about something, others will too. Seek them out, there's power in numbers.

4. Stay StrongMaking a change isn't easy and there will be people that don't want you to succeed, people who like things how they are. If your intentions are true, then keep them in your heart and be prepared to fight for them.

5. Never give upChanging things takes time. Sometimes the things we do seem like they're not making any difference at all - but a tiny drop in the ocean creates a ripple that can become a wave.

Standing up for what you believe in can takes guts, but it's worth it, because one person can make a difference.

When you're lost in the dark (after facing a beast) things can feel hopeless and it might seem like you'll never make it home again. Here are some tips for finding your way back to the light.

1. RememberLost in the dark it can feel like you're all alone. But you're not. You have your memories and your imagination. Conjure up the good times, the things you love about home, imagine yourself there and you will soon feel motivated to move.

2. BelieveFinding your way home isn't easy, especially if you let the fear and worry creep into the darkness with you. Hold onto the belief that you will get home, even if it is hard to imagine ever escaping the maze.

3. TrustYou might feel like you're on your own but you're not! You have your greatest friend and ally - you have yourself. You must trust your own instincts and trust yourself to know which way to go.

4. Keep GoingYou may feel like you're getting nowhere, just scrabbling around in the dark forever. But you never know how close you are, keep pushing until you get there.

5. Hold OnHowever flimsy or unlikely the threads of hope are, follow them, they will lead you home.

People are often surprised to hear there was a time when no girl would even look twice at me. As unbelievable as that sounds, it's true. I wasn't born charming, I worked at it and you can too, just follow my top five tips for living a charmed life...

1. Exude WealthSpend whatever money you have on the most expensive things you can find. Rack up debt if you like, remember it's all about how you appear - if you appear wealthy people will automatically be drawn to you, like magpies to shiny things.

2. Appear PerfectYou must always look like you just stepped out from behind a camera. This will probably take up half your day, but it's worth it. If you don't have natural good looks, never fear - that's what plastic surgery was invented for.

3. Be DashingEveryone wants to be rescued, preferably by someone just out of reach. Buy yourself a horse and master the art of riding in, just in the nick to time, to save the day.

4. Love YourselfAnd say it all the time. Be your own number one fan, people love that and as they are all like sheep, they will soon bleat along to your song.

5. Pick Surprisingly​Give your attention to the outcast (as long as she's beautiful) or someone poor and unexpected. It will drive all the other girls mad and they'll love you for it.

So there you have it, how to be irresistible in five easy steps. I shouldn't think any of you will succeed as well as yours truly, but I wish you luck with your quest.Yours,​Prince Charming

Sometimes the grass is greener, my brothers and I can testify to that. But it ain't always easy to get where you want to be, here are my top tips on making a change.

1. Do your researchAre these pastures you want to go to really better? How can you be sure? Ask people that have grazed on them, read some reviews, take a day trip and try them out for yourself.

2. Be preparedIt's scary when you come up against something blocking your path - like a huge, hungry troll. But make sure you think through all possible eventualities and....

3. Make a planDo you think my brothers and I just blindly stumbled across that bridge one after the other? No. We thought it through, we worked out our plan of action and we carried it out to a successful conclusion.

4. Push on throughI guarantee there will be at least one moment when you want to turn back, quit, give up your dream. But don't. Dig deep, remember why you're doing it and push on through the hard times... it'll be worth it.

5. Bring those you loveEvery day I thank my lucky clovers that I get to live where the grass is greener. But I would be miserable if I wasn't sharing it with my brothers. What's the point of a new great life if you're alone?

Good luck and remember every journey starts with a single hoof step.Billy Goat Gruff (the Elder)